Accessibility Guide

Georgetown University is committed to providing an accessible  and welcoming experience for our students, guests, and community  members. We strive to design our programs and activities to  welcome and include disabled individuals. All Georgetown  University entities are responsible for ensuring that their programs,  services, and activities are accessible. This document provides  guidance for event planners to understand how to address  requested accommodations in a proactive fashion. 

When planning an event, please keep in mind the inclusion of  disabled participants and speakers in all aspects of planning,  from choosing a physical space or venue and promoting the event  to when participants exit the event. Though visitors and other  members of the University community are encouraged to request  accommodations in advance of any event, you should anticipate  that disabled participants will attend your event regardless of  whether they request accommodations beforehand.  This guide outlines best practices for planning and publicizing  accessible events.

Plan an Event | Publicize an Event | Resources | FAQ

Plan an Event 

1. Ensure that the space or venue is physically accessible 

  • Check the entrances and exits, and tour the path of  travel where participants will enter and exit the space.  Inspect the space and address any barriers before  selecting the venue, when planning the event, and on  the day of the event. 
  • Consider the expected placement of and height of tables  and seats. Determine whether all participants, including  wheelchair users, have access to all aspects of the event,  including food, restrooms, etc. 
  • Designate seating for wheelchair users. Allow sufficient  space to accommodate participants with service animals.  • Connect with the Georgetown Event Management  Services (GEMS) (or the applicable office if the event is  off-campus) to determine whether the space is equipped  with technology to allow for closed-captioning, ASL  Zoom spotlight, and any other necessary services. 

2. Include Individuals with Disabilities through  Promotional Materials 

  • Encourage participants with disabilities to attend. • Ensure the method of communication (email, social  media, flyers) is accessible. 
  • Provide written instructions and a map to identify accessible routes to access the event and to identify accessible parking and entrances/exits. Note: ADA  Accessible parking can be found in the University’s on campus parking garage, the Southwest Parking Garage. 
  • Notify participants whether the event will have flashing  lights (e.g., strobe lights), loud music, or loud sounds.
  • If serving food, include an option for participants  to request a particular diet or indicate any allergies.  Consider food options that allow for a variety of dietary needs. Designate an individual who can assist with serving food and consider including food options that do not require utensils.  
  • Notify participants that scents might be overwhelming  to guests with chemical or fragrance sensitivities.
  • Reference the process for requesting accommodations. 
  • Use the following (or a similar) tag in event  announcements: “This event is ____ (wheelchair  accessible, ASL interpreted, CART captioned, etc.).  Please contact _________ with accessibility requests.” 

3. Encourage Effective Communication During the  Event 

  • Consider offering American Sign Language (ASL)  interpreters and/or Communication Across Real Time Translation (CART) for real-time communication.  Allow for unobstructed seating close to any interpreters.  
  • Use closed-captions for video footage or video conferencing. 
  • Provide the presenters with microphones, and ensure  that there are available microphones for participants  to use during the event (such as in a Q&A). It is a  best practice to repeat questions or comments that participants ask without a microphone during the  event to ensure all can participate.  
  • Consider developing and sharing guidance with presenters in advance of the event on how to  communicate clearly and in an inclusive manner during the event.  
  • Review event materials to ensure they are accessible  and can be made available in alternative formats, such  as in enlarged print (at least 18 point font), braille, and  e-formats. 
  • When practicable, label the food and drinks served and identify any ingredients that may cause allergies.
  • Include clear signage to identify accessible exits and restrooms.  

4. Designate an Individual to Respond to  Disability-Related Inquiries  

  • Identify the designated individual in promotional  materials and at the outset of the event.  
  • Ensure the designated individual is familiar with  the process for requesting accommodations, identifying accessible paths of travel and accessible  entrance, obtaining materials in accessible formats, and implementing emergency responses, including evacuation plans.

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Publicize An Event

1. Use a multi-media approach to publicizing events.  

  • Do create promotional materials in multiple formats  to allow for a variety of guests to engage with your event. Ensure that event materials are accessible and  can be made available in alternative formats, such as  in enlarged print (at least 18 point font), braille, and e-formats. 

2. Ensure that PDFs are accessible.  

  • Do use the accessibility checker under “Tools” to  ensure PDFs are accessible to people using screen  readers. 

3. Use a descriptive text (“alt text”) for images and  graphics.  

  • Do be succinct (fewer than 125 characters) and convey  the emotion, purpose, and impact of the image. 
  • Do contain appropriate punctuation at the end of the  text.  
  • Do include a transcript of any text in the image.
  • Don’t include “Photo of ” or “Image of ” in your alt text.

4. Use appropriate color contrast and font sizes.

  • Do use online contrast checker tools to check the accessibility of background/foreground combinations.
  • Do use a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. Large text is defined as 18pt and larger, or 14pt and larger if it is bold. 

5. Use clear and concise link text. 

  • Do make the link understandable out of context so  individuals using screen readers can navigate quickly.  • Do use the same URL if you use the same link text to  avoid confusion.  
  • Don’t use “click here,” “learn more,” or similar  variations. 
  • Don’t force the user to open links in a new window. 

6. Use captions for video content, including on  social media.  

  • Do caption videos so d/Deaf and hard of hearing  individuals can enjoy the content. 
  • Do use caption features on platforms such as TikTok  and Instagram, or services like Rev.com to create open  captions on long-form video.  
  • Do check the accuracy of captions and edit them  before posting content.  

7. Limit (or eliminate) unicode characters and emojis on social media.  

  • Do put emojis at the end of your written content.  • Do limit emojis, as they are read by screenreaders as  their description, no matter where the emoji appears in social copy. For example, 💙 = blue heart.  
  • Don’t use unicode characters from external sites  because they are inaccessible since not all assistive  devices can identify these character sets, and may skip  over them entirely. 

8. Use Pascal Case or Camel Case when using  hashtags in written social media copy. 

  • Do use Pascal Case: #HoyaSaxa or Camel Case: #hoyaSaxa to help individuals using screen readers to  identify the separate words in a single hashtag.  
  • Don’t write hashtags without capitalization, such as: #hoyasaxa 

9. Use headings rather than bold to separate your sections. 

  • Do use headings to communicate the organization of a  page’s content to provide structure for screen readers to  “scan” a webpage. 
  • Do use headings with an equal or higher rank to start  a new section, with 1 (<h>) being the most important  heading, and 6 (<h6>) the least important.  
  • Don’t bold text to indicate a new section of content

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Resources

Responsibilities  

  • The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990  and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973  require that Georgetown University ensure that its programs, facilities, goods and services are accessible  to individuals with disabilities. Under Title III of the  ADA, a public accommodation must provide auxiliary  aids and services to disabled people if necessary for the  disabled person to use the entity’s goods or services.  Examples of auxiliary aids and services include sign  language interpreters, assistive listening devices, or materials in enlarged print or Braille, etc. However,  the auxiliary aids and services would not be required if they would “fundamentally alter” the nature of the  goods or services, or if they would result in an undue  burden. 
  • When planning an event, potential guests/participants  should be informed about how they may request  a disability accommodation. It is important that  information be included in flyers, advertisements, or  other materials distributed before an event. 
  • It is the responsibility of the applicable department  to pay for any costs associated with accommodating  individuals with disabilities. Departments are  encouraged to anticipate the costs associated with  obtaining sign language interpreters and other  auxiliary aids and services when developing the budget  for events. The Office of Institutional Diversity,  Equity, and Affirmative Action (IDEAA) can provide  a list of resources for interpreters and other services,  and can help troubleshoot the implementation of  requested accommodations.  

Digital Accessibility  

Physical Accessibility 

  • An interactive, accessible campus map that outlines  accessible routes from the Southwest garage to  locations on campus commonly accessed by visitors. 
  • Designated accessible parking spaces are available on  a first-come, first served basis in the Southwest Quad  garage. Individuals who utilize designated accessible  parking spaces must display a state-issued disability  license plate or placard.  
  • The front gates of the University, at the intersection of  37th and O Streets, is an accessible drop-off location.  

Vendors  

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FAQ

  • On Instagram, go to “advanced settings.” Click on  “write alt-text.” Do be succinct (no more than 125  characters) and convey the emotion, purpose, and  impact of the image. Be sure to include appropriate  punctuation at the end of the text, and a transcript  of any text in the image. Don’t include “Photo of ” or  “Image of ” in your alt text. 
  • On Twitter, tap the “+Alt” or “add description”  button. Do be succinct (no more than 125  characters) and convey the emotion, purpose, and  impact of the image. Be sure to include appropriate  punctuation at the end of the text, and a transcript  of any text in the image. Don’t include “Photo of ” or  “Image of ” in your alt text. 
  • On Facebook, select “edit.” In the edit menu, select  “alternative text.” Do be succinct (no more than 125  characters) and convey the emotion, purpose, and  impact of the image. Be sure to include appropriate  punctuation at the end of the text, and a transcript  of any text in the image. Don’t include “Photo of ” or  “Image of ” in your alt text.

  • On Instagram, once your video is uploaded, tap on  the sticker icon. Select “Captions” sticker. Choose  between the various captions options, and move  around the text on the video. Do check for accuracy  before posting.  
  • On TikTok, click the button on the bottom right  corner when you finish recording your video. Click  the “text” button. Write “CC” to signal closed  captions, and write the captions of your video.  
  • On Facebook, click on the video you want to  select. Select the dot-menu and “edit video.” Click  “Captions.” Do check for accuracy before posting.

  • To rent a mobility device, please consider reaching out to an external vendor.

  • American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation  takes spoken words and interprets them into ASL.  Communication Across Real Time Translation  (CART) refers to the transcription of spoken words  into captions by a trained CART specialist. When  event planning, please keep in mind that some  individuals at an event may require ASL or other  sign language interpretation to ensure effective  communication, while others may require CART to access information at the event. Please consult with the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Affirmative Action (IDEAA) at ideaa@georgetown.edu, if questions arise about when to provide CART,  ASL/other sign language interpretation, or both at  an event.  

  •  Event organizers must provide ASL interpretation to individuals who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing, upon request, where ASL interpretation is necessary to ensure effective communication. Absent such a request, event organizers may wish to provide ASL interpretation at large events open to the public,  such as commencement ceremonies, or at events  likely to be attended by individuals in need of ASL interpretation for effective communication. Event  organizers unsure about whether to provide ASL  interpretation at an event are encouraged to contact  the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Affirmative Action at ideaa@georgetown.edu

  • Event organizers may notify participants that they should request accommodations within a reasonable timeframe (e.g., one or two weeks from the event  date). However, event organizers must consider all  accommodation requests, regardless of when they  are received, and engage in an interactive process  with participants to ascertain whether reasonable  accommodations may be provided. Please consult  with IDEAA (ideaa@georgetown.edu) prior to  denying a requested accommodation.

  • No, automated captions are a separate tool that  does not replace live captions, CART, or ASL  interpretation.  

  • No, automated captions are a separate tool that  does not replace live captions, CART, or ASL  interpretation.

  • At the bottom of the screen, a button with CC: show captions should appear. Auto captions can be enabled by pressing this button. Those who wish to view the captions can do so, while those who do not wish to view the captions can choose not to. All meeting participants will be informed when captions are turned on in a meeting.

  • Yes, an alert will be issued to everyone in the zoom meeting that the captions have been turned on.

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